DENVER – The No. 2-seed University of Denver hockey team secured its spot in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Championship Game with a 2-1 overtime victory against the No. 3-seed Western Michigan Broncos in the conference semifinals on Friday night at Magness Arena. 
 
The Pioneers (24-11-3, 17-6-1 NCHC) will play No. 4-seed Minnesota Duluth (23-13-1, 11-12-1 NCHC) in the NCHC title game next Saturday at 6 p.m. MT at Magness Arena after the Bulldogs beat No. 1 North Dakota 5-1 earlier on Saturday night in Grand Forks. It will be the first championship matchup on DU's home ice since 1986. 
 
"I think I'm most happy for our players and our fans," said DU Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle. "I mean how many years have we not played playoff hockey in the state of Colorado? And now they've got the best access they've ever had, certainly this season, to get to see the chance to win a really big trophy next Saturday night against an excellent team. A team that's playing the best hockey at the best time of year and Duluth is a wonderful opportunity for our fans.
 
Denver senior forward Samu Salminen netted the game-winning goal 5:48 into overtime after the contest was forced into extra time by junior defenseman Boston Buckberger with 3:41 remaining in the third period; the Pios were on a power play and had their goaltender pulled for the extra attacker.
 
DU freshman goalie Johnny Hicks ensured the win against WMU by posting career highs with 38 saves and 39 shots faced. He saw a combined 28 shots in the second and third periods and denied all five that the Broncos (26-10-1, 16-7-1 NCHC) placed on net in the overtime period. 
 
Sophomore forward James Reeder recorded an assist on each marker that the Pios had, with junior defenseman Eric Pohlkamp and senior forward Rieger Lorenz also being credited with helpers. 
 
Broncos goaltender Hampus Slukynsky made 30-of-32 saves, with the Pios placing 21 shots in total on net in the opening 40 minutes of play.
 
Bobby Cowan recorded the first goal of the contest for at 13:19, with Garrett Szydlowski and Tyler MacKenzie receiving the assists on the Broncos' sole marker. 
 
Three minutes later, Buckberger registered the equalizer with a slap shot from high in the zone during a 6-on-4, as Denver was on a power play and had an additional man on the ice with Hicks on the bench.
 
After DU and WMU played two double-overtime games last year in the postseason, the first conference semifinal on Denver ice in 40 years also needed longer than regular-time.
 
Salminen recorded his 10th goal of the season to bring the Pioneers the win, as Reeder's initial shot caromed off Lorenz and his skate before sliding past Slukynsky and into the cage.
 
Each team took two penalties, but Denver was the only squad to capitalize off of its man advantages on Buckberger's team-leading fifth power-play goal (tied) and 14th power-play point of the season.
 
UP NEXT: The Pioneers advance to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff Final and will host No. 4-seed Minnesota Duluth next Saturday at 6 p.m. MT at Magness Arena.
 
 
POSTGAME NOTES

• DU and WMU were meeting in the NCHC Tournament for the fourth time in their history and for a second-straight year after they played in the championship game last year in St. Paul, Minn.
• The Pios are now 3-1 vs. Broncos in the conference tournament.
• Denver is now 3-2-0 this year against WMU after the teams split their four-game regular-season series, with both teams earning road sweeps
• This is the first year that the entire NCHC Frozen Faceoff Tournament is being held on campus sites. 
• Denver is the only team in the conference to reach the semifinals in all 12-held tournaments and is now 5-7 in those matchup.
• DU advanced to its fifth NCHC final and is set to play in the championships game for the third consecutive season.
• The Pioneers have won eight straight games and are on a nine-game home winning streak, both the longest of the season. 
• Denver is unbeaten in its last 12 games, going 11-0-1 since Jan. 24 vs. St. Cloud State. It is their longest unbeaten streak since winning each of their first 12 games to start the 2024-25 campaign.
• DU was hosting a conference semifinals on campus for the first time since a two-game goal aggregate series against Minnesota Duluth on March 7-8, 1986 in the WCHA playoffs.   That year was also the last time that the Pios hosted a championship contest on home ice as they beat Minnesota in another two-game series to take the WCHA league title.
• Pios were playing their first single-elimination playoff game at Magness Arena, as the last time the Denver hosted such a game on campus was the 1970 WCHA Final vs. Wisconsin at the old DU Arena. 
• DU is now a 10-3 all-time in single-elimination postseason games on home ice and owns a 7-2 mark in the conference tournament. 
• Rieger Lorenz's assist extended his point streak two 10 games (6g/7a), surpassing Sam Harris' nine-game run from Nov. 8-12 (5g/5a) for the longest of the season by a Dever player.
• Junior forward Sam Harris broke his career-high seven-game assist streak end, as he totaled three goals and seven assists in the run that began on Feb. 7.
• Johnny Hicks posted career highs with 33 saves on 39 shots faced.
• Hicks made his 11 straight start and is unbeaten in his first 12 career decisions (11-0-1).
• Denver scored with the goaltender pulled for the fifth time this season.
• DU recorded its ninth comeback victory of the season.

 
GOAL SUMMARY
1st Period
No Scoring
 
2nd Period
No Scoring
 
3rd Period
13:19 WMU (0-1) – Tyler MacKenzie attempted a shot on net that Garrett Szydlowski picked up and flicked it backward to Bobby Cowan, who fired it into the net near the blueline with traffic in front.  
16:11 DU (1-1) – PPG, Clarke Caswell won a faceoff and Boston Buckberger went top-shelf with a one-timer from the high slot off a pass from Eric Pohlkamp while DU had the goaltender pulled for the extra attacker.
 
Overtime
5:48 DU (2-1) – James Reeder took a shot on net after receiving it from off of the boards and the puck ricocheted off Rieger Lorenz's leg and Samu Salminen's skate before trickling into the back of the net.  
 
 
QUOTABLES
Richard and Kitzia Goodman Hockey Head Coach David Carle
On Eric Pohlkamp's performance: "We've really challenged him in the second half to be more committed defensively and to be positionally aware so we have balance on the ice. Certainly a tough break on the play, I saw it—I'm like, wrong guy you want to have the puck and Whitelaw, he's got great first three steps. And you saw the burst that Eric was able to put on. And you first worry, no stick, don't take a holding, don't wrap him, but he did a great job getting in front of him and then finishing him. And yeah, like you said the two blocks, the one he finishes in the corner and somehow gets up and over and he's the guy back onto the weak side, eating another one. Everyone likes to talk about what he does offensively, certainly won offensive defenseman of the year in our league, fourth Denver defenseman in a row to do it. But you're starting to see a commitment to defense. His shot will get him a lot of places, but his defense will allow him to stay in places that he wants to be."
 
On competing in playoffs at campus sites: "It was great. You know, you're not really sure how it's going to go and certainly, I've been very vocal about it. A lot was made during the week of ticket sales and different things. And I thought our team here did a really good job working with the league to ensure that it was a full building. Our fans really showed up again on short notice, and now have the opportunity to do it again. I think if you were to start asking players more and more what would they prefer, to play at the X (the then-called Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul) in front of - think it was 5,700 last year in that championship game against Western Michigan. This is a semifinal game, we had over 6,000. Even the semifinal games were a double ticket (in St. Paul). So we've already eclipsed last year in two semifinal games this year. So certainly I think it's the right model for our league. And I personally in our program, have bigger aspirations in trying to get this to continue to grow around the country into the national tournament. And it's not impossible for road teams to win. Certainly Duluth just went into what everyone would call 'the hardest place in college hockey to win,' and they took down North Dakota 5-1 as the underdog. I think whether you're at home or on the road, the preference is to play in an atmosphere and environment that gets you excited. And I think it shows a lot better on TV. Not only do we have 6,000 people in here, but we had it on Altitude, and NCHC TV, did a great job getting Ross Productions to do the game. And you see the atmosphere and you're like, 'gosh, I think I might want to take my family and go to that and be a part of it.' So that's really what it's all about, is trying to grow excitement around our sport, and hopefully I think we're getting more consensus and more people on board with at least to open their minds to it. And our hope is that that continues."
 
Junior Defenseman Boston Buckberger
On late equalizer in the 3rd: "We just knew we were going to have to get one there and be desperate. We knew that if we executed on a couple of passes and created a shot lane, that if we got pucks to the net, we knew that we have guys and sticks there. So I think we did a great job on that faceoff play and it was just fortunate that [shot] sifted through and went in."
 
On key faceoff win by Caswell: "It's big time and that's obviously why we bring those guys in. They're great players, and they make big-time plays. And it's just as much on the guys who are coming into the dot there like Reeder helping to get through and then PK making a nice play up top. So it takes all of us out there, and it was just great to be executed."
 
On goaltender Johnny Hicks and his performance: "I mean he's our rock back there. We know he can bail us out if we make a couple of turnovers, bad plays, myself included. I think that just to have that belief and faith that he's back there, that he can bail you out is huge. I think it allows us to keep pushing and keep playing to win, even an overtime game like that. So he stuck it out for us, and we're just glad that we got a bounce."
 
On winning game and playing at Magness again next week: "It's just incredible that they put this tournament on campus sites. I think that our fan energy, I don't know if I've experienced that in my three years here. Obviously, playing a huge team like Western at home in playoffs, and it sounded like the roof was going to come off there in the third period. I think we can just keep building on this, looking forward to next weekend with having our fans behind us. It means more than just 25 guys, but we got 6,200 other people who are pulling for us. I think that that's huge for our team, and we're just looking forward to doing it again Saturday."
 
Senior Forward Samu Salminen
On his overtime goal: "I didn't really notice much, just that the puck went in. I didn't really know who scored but just the joy and just seeing all the fans here in the building after the goal was something I probably never experienced ,and it was a huge moment. I'm just happy we can play at home these games and enjoy it, next week as well."
 
On managing emotions in big games: "I think we've been in these situations before throughout the season. Last year as well, those couple losses in overtime were obviously tough and heartbreaking, but just sticking to our process and believing in each other. We had really good bench energy and talk in the locker room the whole night. That's something that you just want to do, play with your brothers, and we're fortunate that it ended in a win. Happy to do it again next week."